South Greenville firefighters work to extinguish a car fire on New Years eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31) on Highway 247. The car was struck by a BMW that was traveling south on Highway 247 before it burst into flames killing all four occupants. The driver and lone occupant of the BMW, Nicholas Shane Meeks of Belton was arrested and charged with four counts of felony DUI involving death and one count of driving with a suspended license. Meeks was also convicted of driving under the influence in March of 2024. (Photo by David Rogers)
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a 2017 Subaru SUV was backing out of a private drive onto Cooley Bridge Road when a 2012 BMW sedan traveling south struck the Subaru. The BMW then went off the road and struck a tree.
According to Shelton England of the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, all four people killed were in the Subaru.
England identified the victims on Wednesday morning as Audrey Maris Ross, 29, of Donalds and Amanda Lynn Leroux also known as Zelena Ophelia Moon, 30, of North Carolina.
On Friday evening he identified the other two victims as Jade Evelyn Bruton, 27, of Greenville and Joshua Allen Ward, 37, of North Carolina.
According to the coroner, Bruton and Leroux died of multiple blunt force injuries. Ross died of blunt force trauma to the chest. Ward died of smoke inhalation and thermal burns.
